Aerodynamic testing is important for athletes, particularly in sports where results are decided by fractions of a second, such as in cycling, skiing, ski jumping, skating and bobsledding, as just a few examples.
Conventionally, aerodynamic testing has included sessions in a wind tunnel facility to generate conditions that are as close to real-world conditions as possible. In this way, athletes can evaluate different factors, including body positions and clothing and equipment choices, to determine which configuration should produce less aerodynamic drag, and thus be faster on the race course.
Wind-tunnel testing opportunities for athletes, however, are limited because wind tunnel testing time is very expensive. Moreover, it is difficult to make changes to a configuration and then meaningfully evaluate the changes in real-time during a single tunnel testing session.